Little Kelham’s low-carbon homes proving popular

A unique housing development situated at the heart of one of the ‘Best Places to Live in Britain’ is attracting plenty of interest thanks to its focus on sustainability, design and community.

The low-carbon Little Kelham development, by Leeds-based Citu, has so far sold the majority of its homes off plan, with buyers queuing overnight on some occasions to secure their property. The next phase of the development is already for sale, with many plots having sold within days of being released. The homes are one to four bedroom houses all with outdoor space and range from between £118,000 and £295,000.

The multi award-winning development is situated on a brownfield site in Sheffield’s vibrant Kelham Island quarter, which was named this month (Sunday, 13 March) as one of the ‘Best Places to Live in Britain’ by the Sunday Times. The development of 157 one to four bedroom energy efficient and virtually air tight homes is the largest of its type in the UK and residents can expect their heating bills and carbon emissions to be a fraction of that of a conventional property.

Little Kelham will also have office, retail and creative workspace, as well as a public square, communal gardens and a boules court. So far 16 homes of have been completed and occupied, including the first row of Garden Houses – a row of striking three and four bed homes which boast a private terrace and a communal garden which is shared with immediate neighbours. Work on the next phase of garden homes, which include two, three and four bed properties, will begin in the coming months.

At the end of 2015, Citu opened its show home in one of the Garden Houses. With interior decoration by Manchester-based No Chintz, the show home has proven remarkably popular, with hundreds of people visiting to find out about how the homes save energy and money as well as seeing first-hand how considered design has been used to make the most of space and light. The show home has also been visited by school groups, academics and community leaders keen to find out more about sustainable living.

Aisling Ramshaw, Marketing Director at Citu, said: “The response to Little Kelham has been overwhelming, but not particularly surprising. More people are aware of their impact on the environment and want to do their bit to reduce their emissions. Existing houses and even some new build homes make it difficult for people to do anything that’s why all Citu properties are designed to make it easier for people to live in a house where you will naturally save energy without trying too hard. We use a fabric first approach to ensure you don’t need as much heat in the first place. That combined with renewable energy and smart technology can help reduce the need to spend so much on heat.

“We’re building high density homes on brownfield sites, but we’re using clever design to maximise space and in doing so, creating really interesting, attractive places to live and work in. Added to that is the fact that Little Kelham is the biggest development in Kelham Island, which is fast becoming one of the most exciting urban neighbourhoods in the north.

“The area oozed character but lacked investment, but the last few years has seen the tide changing and people are really beginning to take notice of Kelham Island and everything that is good about it.”

Following on from the success of Little Kelham, there are now plans for a further extension to the scheme at a site adjacent to the existing one. The scheme, which has been granted planning permission will see a further 98 Citu Houses being built along with office space and public areas.